USC football: 10 lingering questions (No. 1)

As we all know, USC's 2010 season came to a premature end because of the NCAA sanctions.

So how are we going to fill this football-less December?

By asking -- and answering -- 10 unanswered questions.

We'll start with the most pressing:

What player's early departure for the NFL draft would have the greatest impact on the 2011 Trojans?

Although anyone on the roster who has been out of high school for at least three years can declare for the draft, we're going to limit this discussion to three primary candidates: offensive tackle Tyron Smith and defensive linemen Armond Armstead and Jurrell Casey.

Casey is the most accomplished player of the three, having just earned team MVP honors. But I don't think he'd be the biggest loss -- unless both he and best buddy Armstead were to leave, which would create a hole on the defensive line that you could drive a golf cart through. (What, too soon?)

USC has a relatively plentiful supply of defensive tackles to offset the loss of Casey. Not that any would be as consistently disruptive, but there's enough returning talent to form a formidable rotation.

The primary backups would be senior Hebron Fangupo and freshman George Uko. Fangupo, who told me he'd be back, has yet to fulfill his potential, largely because of injuries. But he has the size (6-2, 310) and strength to be a force.

Uko was good enough to have played this past season, but USC coach Lane Kiffin and his staff decided to redshirt him as part of their long-term probation planning. Uko looks the part (6-4, 300) and was named the Service Team Defensive Player of the Year -- a sign that he stood out even while wearing a black practice jersey.

If Armstead comes back, he could start inside or slide inside in passing situations. His versatility is one of his greatest assets -- and one of the reasons he might be harder to replace than Casey.

USC isn't as deep at defensive end, where Nick Perry and Wes Horton project as the starters if Armstead were to leave. After that ... who knows? Kevin Greene and James Boyd remain in the project phase. Beyond them, you're looking at talented sophomore Christian Thomas, who split time between tight end and defensive end in 2010, and Freshmen TBD.

Take away Casey and Armstead -- a possibility because they're such close friends -- and you've got problems.

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